To Rob Him Once More
by o-WinterQueen-o
Summary: They had no other choice... They could only hope that he understood.
1. The Decision

**Yo this is Kari. This fic is going to be sad and I hope you hate me by the end of it.**

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A few years after the war, it was clear that Yhwach's corpse had begun to deteriorate, and was no longer able to be used as the replacement Soul King. Then again, it was hardly a surprise. Even sealed and dismembered as he was, the original Soul King was still alive in that crystal of his. The Soul King still carried out his duties from within it, and interacted with the world, however indirectly, through his sentient Heart and Hands.

Really, it was no wonder than Yhwach's corpse could not serve as an adequate replacement for long.

No real wonder... just a simple lost hope…

For with this… As it was now…

With Mimihagi, Pernida, and Gerard all having been absorbed by Yhwach... With Yamamoto dead… There were only two who had the capability to replace the Soul King, and with how untrustworthy Aizen was… There really was only one option… Only one who could become the next Soul King now... and the Soul Society knew how wrong and unfair... just how cruel it would be to ask that of him.

He was hardly more than just a kid... Hardly more than two mere decades in age... So young and the Soul Society had already robbed him blind again and again in their incompetence.

First by their failure to kill Yhwach the first time. Countless-both living and dead-suffered because of that mistake, they knew, but they'd never faced the guilt of that mistake before now. With that mistake, they robbed the boy and his friend of their mothers.

Next was their failure to suspect Aizen. Thousands suffered-shinigami, human, soul, and hollow alike-because they were blinded to the man's wicked deeds, because they were deafened by their own arrogance and pride in that which they thought they knew. They were responsible in that failure for the circumstances that led to the boy's creation. They robbed the boy of a chance at a relatively normal life.

Then was their failure to be honest with the boy. To be forthcoming. The boy suffered so much because of what they simply did not tell him of Ginjo. Of their attempts to restore his powers. Of anything. They left the child to suffer alone for nearly a year and a half. They robbed him of a chance at hope and peace of mind when all they had to do was simply say something. Simply let they boy know that they had not forsaken him. To show him that they were grateful for and worthy of his help... They robbed him of his health... and robbed themselves of a chance to fix their own mistakes for once.

Finally was their failure to be strong enough to fix their own mistakes. Their failure to take down Aizen on their own. Their failure to fight the Quincy on their own. Their failure to smoke out and deal with Ginjo on their own. With this, with all of this, they robbed the boy of his youth.

The boy saved them, time and time again. Fought two wars for them loyally. Trusted them though he had every reason in the realms not to.

They knew that... and yet they had no other choice than to rob him once more.

Rob him of the only thing he had left to give.

Kurosaki Ichigo was the only one who could possibly take up the mantle of the Soul King. The only one who could bear the burden of the Soul King. The only one who act as a vessel for the Soul King's power and not be burned up by it. Truly… as much as they hated to admit it... they had no other choice…

Thus it was decided.

Kurosaki Ichigo, the Shinigami Substitute, would become the new Soul King.

This would be the last thing the Soul Society ever asked of him, for once it was done there would be no going back. No way to undo this. The young man they owed everything to would have to give up his life in the human world. Give up his friends. Give up his family. Give up his very future. All to finally put an end to their thousands of years of mistakes.

There was no other way.

He would understand.

...

That's what they told themselves at least…

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 **Thanks for reading, please review.**


	2. College

**Yeah, I forgot to mention this before, but this is going to be a slow build before the pain ::v I decided to write this thing as a sort of backstory to the Soul King AU I'm adding to my tumblr verses, so it was originally just going to be the first chapter + how Ichigo becomes the SK, but then I decided to illustrate just what the SS is making Ichigo give up and make myself cry, so enjoy this uvu**

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Going to college had been good for him.

Yeah, he had originally wanted to stay closer to Karakura so he could keep close to his sisters and make up for the three year nightmare that was high school. Between his Shinigami duties, the year and a half of depression, the Quincy War, and all the secretiveness that only seemed to do more harm than anything else, Ichigo knew he'd been a shitty brother. He wanted to make that up to them by being there for them through the end of middle school and into their high school days.

Yet, when it came down to it, he couldn't. The schools closest to Karakura didn't have good medical programs. The schools closest to Karakura didn't really offer him scholarships either. He passed the entrance exams no problem, but in the end, the closest schools willing to give him any financial aid were in Tokyo… The schools with huge budgets and were willing to take a chance on the guy with bright orange hair who somehow managed to go from failing his third year to making his way to the top 50 once more. He wasn't anywhere close to 23 like before but… still so much better than he had been at the beginning of his third year… Even with his month spent unconscious in the Soul Society after fighting Yhwach

He was able to find an apartment with Ishida in Tokyo and the two of them shared it to reduce rent prices. It was nice honestly, spending time away from home, but still getting to be with his friend. There were a lot less hollows out here too, and the Shinigami assigned to this area actually did their jobs, so he didn't have to go out and fight nearly as often as he did back home, and he rarely ever had to leave class because of them. It was honestly a bigger relief than he thought possible.

Being able to help when needed, being involved, but not having to deal with that crushing pressure that he always felt like he had to bear before, that weight of the world he used to carry upon his shoulders… With Yhwach dead… it was strange… but that urge… to carry everything on his own… it had lessened. It wasn't gone, not even close, but it wasn't something that suffocated him anymore. Ichigo was able to rely on his friends more without that unbearable sense of guilt… that sense that he didn't deserve their help… Intrusive thoughts… about his failures and his weaknesses were still present, but they weren't nearly as persistent as they once were.

For the first time in a long time, he felt light.

For the first time in a long time, he finally felt at peace with himself. He felt in control of his own life.

He used to think that what he wanted was a normal life. A normal life without ghosts or hollows or anything like that. A life without being judged and bullied for his looks. Of course, he didn't care what other people thought of him, and he had too much pride to dye his hair, but he always imagined a life without having to fight would be nice… That's what he'd always thought would make him happier at least.

Losing his powers killed those thoughts. That normal life he always wanted had amounted to a seventeen month bout of depression that was second only to thee time after his mother died… Those powerless seventeen months had very nearly killed him in their pain and misery, powerless, alone, and isolated as he was. The isolation, he knew, was his own fault in the end, but it had still cut him deeply.

Now he understood that being normal was never what he really wanted… Never really what he needed either. When he first gained his powers, despite any protests he had, it was a relief. A relief to be able to fight and help the spirits he saw. To protect them. Though he hadn't realized it at the time, helping and protecting them had been a sort of penance that he'd unconsciously craved. A means to make up for his greatest son, his greatest failure, to ease that guilt that burned in his heart for causing his mother's death.

Now that he'd tasted what it felt like to be able to fight and protect in such a way, he simply couldn't deal with a normal life. Ichigo needed Zangetsu. But more than that, he needed to be able to remain in control of his life. To have a means to protect, but to Be able to balance it with his own goals and ambitions as well as a social life and his family life.

Going to college was just what he needed. Getting away from Karakura to keep from being swept up by the Soul Society and all the chaos they brought into his life with their constant favors and antics, but still living with Uryu and remaining close with his friends… Continuing his studies, but choosing his own schedule and classes and being able to regulate his workload to keep it from overwhelming him...

The stability was good for him—now more than ever—but the adaptability was even better. Of course, college itself and the change of scenery wasn't the only part of it that was good for him.

First there was Ishida. Stuffy, nerdy, pompous, overbearing Ishida was, in all honesty, the best roommate he could have ever asked for. Ishida and him were attending completely different schools, but they were in the same area that sharing an apartment was still fully convenient for the both of them. And honestly, it was for the best.

Even now, almost two full years since the war, he still had nightmares. Not just of the Quincy War either. Nightmares of Aizen and Ulquiorra and his various failures plagued him frequently, sometimes to the point where he woke up screaming. They two of them had been relieved when they found out they were not the only ones. For Ishida, it was not nearly as frequent, and rarely as violent, but they were still there. They still left him shaking and unable to sleep…

When he found Ichigo asleep on the couch one evening, shaking and whimpering as he tossed and turned in the throws of an obvious nightmare, he couldn't help but feel oddly glad that he was not alone in this. After the Quincy gently shook his friend awake, and they began to discuss the subject, at Ishida's insistence, Ichigo admitted to sharing such a sentiment. They were, of course, not gladdened by the other's suffering, but in that they had someone who understood it. Getting through nightmares alone in the best had been hard on each of them, so really, being roommates was rather therapeutic. Rather than forcing a couple of other poor bastards to deal with them and their baggage, or having to shoulder it all alone, they could rely on each other.

Of course, that didn't mean the two of them stopped bickering. Not in the slightest. The two of them still argued to hell and back, they fought over the stupidest things-whose turn it was to do the dishes, who was supposed to take out the trash, who finished the last of the rice or ice cream. It was ridiculous.

Utterly ridiculous, but it was nice.

Beyond just having Ishida as his roommate, though Ichigo was loathe to admit it, Ishida gave a lot of good advice. He convinced Ichigo to take advantage of the free counselling sessions the school offered and actually talk to a therapist-if not about his problems with the spirit world, at least about his stress and problems with time management. It seemed silly and trivial, but when all was said and done, it did help to an extent. His counselor taught him a few stress management techniques and helped him to find time in his schedule to relax. Of course, he always had to factor in some time to go on patrol for hollows afterwards, but overall, it was a big help. Though having someone to talk to about the more minor aspects of his stress seemed trivial, it put him in a better state of mind to deal with the bigger problems. Because of this… this new sense of control, Ichigo found himself smiling more often-hell, he even caught Uryu smiling more often rather than glaring at him or gazing at him with worry or exasperation like he was used to.

Yeah… going to college really had been good for him.

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 **Thanks for reading, please review!**


	3. A Normal Day

**Hey y'all! It's ya girl Kari, late as ever! So I know I haven't updated in ages, but this chapter is pretty hefty (considering I usually write 1K drabbles) so I hope that makes up for the absence! Anyways... SO I've actually got something awesome to tell y'all! I've joined this thing called the Bleach Big Bang as a writer ( and admin ::0 shocking, I know ) so I'll be publishing a 15k+ fic this coming July and I promise it will be jam-packed with some nice bittersweet angst and a good sprinkling of fluff!**

 **In addition to that I'll be posting some fun one shots every 2 weeks or so for the Bang's mini events aka Bings, so please keep an eye out for those. I highly encourage y'all to check out the Bleach Big Bang's tumblr and try to join us (sign ups close Dec. 5, 2018)! Even if you can't participate in the Bang as an artist or writer, you can still be a cheerleader for all the content creators and participate in the Bings! It's going to be a lot of fun and I really hope to see you there! Head over to bleachbigbang. tumblr .com for more info and sign up today!**

 **As far as this fic goes, i'm pretty happy with how this chapter turned out! I hope that I'll be able to finish the next one much more quickly than this one. So without further ado, please enjoy!**

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Uryu, already knowing what he wanted to do beyond a doubt, went to a University specializing in fashion and the arts—on full ride no less. Ichigo on the other hand went to a school with a little more variety. He was a pre-med major with a minor in literature. The minor was his counselor's idea, having encouraged him to shake things up and look at a broader range of classes if he wasn't absolutely married to the idea of becoming a doctor. She told him to minor in something he loved, rather than something he thought would look good on paper like most students did, but that was neither here, nor there.

They didn't have any classes together. Hell, they didn't even go to the same school. Somehow though, he and Ishida managed to keep a fairly balanced schedule between the two of them despite the crazy and wildly different demands of their respective majors. They generally went to sleep around the same time, took turns on nightly patrol, split the costs for grocery and take out. It worked out surprisingly well.

Whatever it was, their 'arrangement' was too hectic and irregular to really be called a routine, but it was something. It was nice.

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[ sms Ishidork → Ichigo ] I'll be home late. At studio working on the big project.

[ sms Ichigo → Ishidork ] Alright.

[ sms Ichigo → Ishidork ] You eaten yet?

[ sms: Ichigo → Ishidork ] hey going to pick up noodles at that place on the corner  
[ sms: Ichigo → Ishidork ] you want anything

[ sms: Ishidork → Ichigo ] project due mon  
[ sms: Ishidork → Ichigo ] going to be studio all night  
[ sms: Ishidork → Ichigo ] my lace just came today  
[ sms: Ishidork → Ichigo ] it's a nightmare

[ sms: Ichigo → Ishidork ] so 2 large coffees w/ ur usual + a snack?

[ sms: Ishidork → Ichigo ] pls

Ichigo couldn't help but laugh at the last message. They'd been going through this for a year and a half now that he was able to pick up Ishida's unique way of asking for help through subtext. It was odd and could be very confusing, but he was getting the hang of it. That was the first time he'd seen Ishida ever use that particular shorthand-hell it was rare that Ishida said 'please', period. The poor guy must be in a real bind if he's that grateful for food and coffee.

Sliding his phone back into his pocket, Ichigo made his way around the living area in their apartment to collect his things. His laptop, a pair of spirals, his sticky notes and a pencil case were thrown into his backpack alongside his wallet and keys before being slung over his shoulder. Though he could just drop the food off with Ishida and come back to study, he felt it would be better to go out today. Sitting in the apartment all day got claustrophobic after a while and that made him restless and distracted when he should be focusing on his notes.

He'd probably go to one of the campus libraries for a while to see if he could get some help on his physics assignment… maybe go to a coffee shop for a while to look for some sort of character inspiration for his creative writing class short story assignment.

Locking the door behind him, Ichigo made his way down to the ground floor and headed out to the noodle place. His phone buzzed again in his pocket.

[ sms: Urahara → Ichigo ] I have received word from the Soul Society that the Captains would like an audience with you, Kurosaki-kun.  
[ sms: Urahara → Ichigo ] Stop by the shop this weekend and I'll have you on your way

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo let out a sigh. Dropping everything to go to the Soul Society without even a full explanation was not something he'd like to go back to doing. Like hell. He didn't even have the time for that anyways.

[ sms: Ichigo → Urahara ] no way. I have a test monday  
[ sms: Ichigo → Urahara ] tell them i can't. k, bye

He could see Urahara typing something else in reply, but he couldn't bring himself to care much. Whatever the Soul Society wanted, it was probably unimportant. Ever since the Quincy War, they always had these team building training meetings they invited him to or other dumb events they claimed to be 'morale boosters'. Once in a blue moon they actually summoned him to discuss something important, but that had died down significantly after the first anniversary of the war now that they were starting to get back to normal.

It wasn't like he didn't appreciate being included. Hell, Kyoraku-san actually took the time to listen to him and his suggestions on how to help the Seireitei moving forward, and that was awesome. When push came to shove though his school came first. His life came first. After all, he was still human. He was only alive for a short time, and he had a life to live before he became a shinigami full time.

Ichigo already knew the soul society already had plans for him after he died, so what point was there in spending all his human life over there? What was the use in waiting to live when in a few decades, he would be tied down with endless responsibilities under the Soul Society's thumb? No, he was putting himself first here and now for the first time in his life and actually trying to be happy. That's why he was going to school and living with Ishida in the first place.

Yeah. The Soul Society could wait.

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"It cannot wait Urahara Kisuke! I don't care what he says, get him to the Seireitei by noon on Sunday or there will be hell to pay."

"Calm down, Soifon-taichou~ I can't exactly force Kurosaki-kun to do something he doesn't want to do. I get where the Central 46 and the Zero division are coming from, but surely they aren't planning on forcing this upon him the same day they tell him? That's a bit cruel, don't you think."

"Kindness and cruelty are not things to consider in the face of obligation. All shinigami should know that."

"Mah, no need to go quoting the mottos of the stealth force back at me. I learned them long before you."

"Then get him to the Seireitei."

"He has other responsibilities, I'm sure the Zero division can wait a week or two before break the news to him."

"There is no higher responsibility than to the Soul Society and Soul King for a shinigami! This takes precedence!"

"He's not a Shinigami Soifon. You'd do well to remember that. We're making a human kid become the next Soul King, not a Shinigami who's pledged their life to the Soul Society or a Noble or anything like that. We're making a twenty year old human the Soul King."

"Don't talk down to me Urahara Kisuke! I know exactly what we're doing. My feelings and opinions on the matter are irrelevant! One is not to form human attachments for they are weaknesses. One shall not put their personal beliefs above their duties as a Shinigami. One shall not disobey the orders of their superiors. One must not hesitate in the line of duty."

"I told you not to-"

"It seems in your hundred years of isolation, you've forgotten these things! Do not lecture me for acting in the realm of my duty. I am a captain and these are the things I must uphold! Therefore I will not consider how young he is nor how unjust I think these proceedings are. I shall not consider how much Yoruichi-sama will miss the boy nor how much of that potential of his will be wasted as a figurehead like that. I will not consider any of these things while I carry out my orders. These things do not exist within the realm of my duties."

"I see…"

"Have him come to the Seireitei by Sunday at noon or the Onmitsukido will be dispatched to retrieve and deliver him."

"Whatever you say, Soifon-taicho."

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"Spicy chicken curry, chicken pad thai, two orders of spring rolls, an order of pork gyoza, a peach tea, and a honey milk tea for pick up!" the lady behind the counter called. She looked around the shop, waiting for someone to stand up and take the order, but no one moved. It was as if no one said a thing. Typical.

She let out a sigh before calling out again, "Kurosaki! Order here for Kurosaki!"

That time she caught Ichigo's attention.

With a start, Ichigo glanced up from the Food Fantasy quest he'd been playing while he waited. He'd heard the girl at the front call out a few orders, but for some reason, he hadn't realized that last one was his. Fuck. That game was way too distracting. Closing the dumb tap tap game, he quickly made his way to the counter to retrieve his order.

"Sorry for taking so long, got distracted by Food Fantasy." he grinned apologetically at the girl as he picked up the bag with his food. "Can I get one of those drink caddy things?"

"Sure thing, one sec," she ducked beneath the counter to grab the caddy before handing it to him. Her earlier annoyance seemed to have left as she looked at him with a grin. "And yeah, I get that. Tiramisu is my wife. "

He laughed lightly at that, dropping a couple hundred yen in the tip jar, "Tiramisu? She's cool, but I'm weak for Chocolate."

The girl nodded, "Good choice, he's pretty —"

"Ishikawa, stop flirting already," a snobby sounding guy behind the counter snapped, much to both Ichigo's and the girl's chagrin. "I need a mango milk tea with green apple pearls, half ice. Hurry up."

"A-Anyways, have a nice day." the girl-Ishikawa-managed to say despite her obvious embarrassment.

"Ah, yeah, you too." Ichigo nodded, quickly loading the caddy with the teas and parting with a wave.

He caught sight of Ishikawa throwing an empty cup at the snobbish guy as he left the building and couldn't help but laugh. Being that rude over them having a friendly conversation? The guy definitely deserved that. The restaurant wasn't even busy, the guy could have totally made the mango tea himself.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it. Either it was Food Fantasy telling him his LP was full again or Hat n' Clogs was on some mission to convince him to go to the Soul Society anyways. Either way, he didn't really care

Ichigo made his way down the street at a relaxed pace, following in line with the rest of the foot traffic until he reached a hole-in-the-wall convenience store about two blocks down from the restaurant. Shouldering through a small crowd of pedestrians who were blocking his way, he slipped inside the cramped convenience store with a grunt. The place was small enough to pass by without noticing unless you were looking for it, and from the outside, it kind of always looked closed as if it were abandoned because of the dirty windows. In a way, it reminded him of Hat n' Clogs' shop.

Unlike Hat n' Clogs though, the owner was entirely human and didn't deal in anything supernatural as far as Ichigo could tell. It was just a normal dusty convenience store that didn't jack up its prices to ridiculous rates just because it was close to college campuses. Weaving through the aisles and other customers-oh yeah, also unlike Urahara's shop, this place actually had customers-Ichigo made his way to the refrigerated portion of the store for Ishida's coffees.

He peered through the glass for a moment in ponderance before he spotted the items he was looking for. Wrinkling his nose in distaste, he grabbed a few of the bottled espresso drinks near the bottom. He had no idea how Ishida could stomach those things, but to each their own he guessed. Before he could close the door however, a certain black and green can caught his eye. Pausing for a moment, he hesitated, debating whether or not he should get it… With a sigh, he opened the cooler door open wider so he could grab the energy drink.

He blamed Ishida for this particular bad habit.

Taking the caffeine, he moved on to the isles looking for a snack. If Ishida was going to be sewing, anything that would get his fingers dirty would probably be a bad idea… as would anything that dripped… Shrugging, he bit the bullet, grabbing a pack of rice cakes and a banana for Uryu and an apple for himself. Fruit was going to cost him, but it was probably for the best. He would rather spend the money than deal with a pissy Ishida… Besides, neither of them had eaten any fresh fruit in a while… Returning to the front o the store, he quickly paid for the caffeine and snacks and began making his way towards Uryu's studio once more.

From here, the studio was only a brief walk away. Just up a couple blocks and around a corner, it was only a couple minutes before he found himself standing outside the building that housed the studio. Alright, not he just had to get inside… If there was anything he hated about this building, it was that it hand door handles to pull rather than simple push doors like his school… It was so unnecessary and just plain irritating to deal with. Carefully, he maneuvered the bags with the snacks so they hung off his left arm. With that done, he passed the drink caddy to his left hand as well so his right was free to open the door.

Or, at least, to pull the handle. The door didn't budge. Eyebrows furrowed, he attempted to push it. It still didn't open. He pulled the handle again, harder this time, but it didn't budge. It simply rattled in its frame despite his efforts. What the hell? Was it stuck?

He sighed in aggravation as the realization hit him. Dammit. Of course… Now that classes were out for the day, the building was locked. All the campus buildings in the area were like that. Dammit. He knew the building was still accessible by student ID key cards, but that did him no good. This wasn't his school after all.

Head falling back, Ichigo grit his teeth… He'd have to text Ishida and get him to come down to open the door… The plastic bags were digging into his arm uncomfortably as he dug his phone out of his back pocket, cutting off his circulation. Stupid doors…

Before he could open up Uryu's contact to ask him to give him a hand, he caught someone else opening the door on the other side of the facade. Thank god. "Oi, can you hold that?" he called out, waving a hand out as he jogged over to the open door.

The guy nodded, holding open the door while waving his hand continuously in a circular motion as if to say 'hurry up'.

"Thanks man." he gave the guy a polite nod as he passed through the door.

"No prob." the guy said, letting the door fall shut behind Ichigo.

Ichigo wasted no time waiting for the creaky old elevator, instead heading straight for the stairs and making his way up to the fourth floor where Ishida's studio was. Now…where the hell was the studio… Down the hall, around the corner, past the bathrooms then... Left wing or right wing…? He stood paused in the hallway for a few moment as he tried to recall his last visit to the studio.

"Hey!" He'd been half tempted to just call Uryu when the familiar voice caught his attention, "Ichigo, over here." Uryu stood, head ducked out of a doorway about halfway down the left wing, waving to catch his attention.

Turning on his heel, he made his way down the hall towards his friend. "Delivery for Ishida. You owe me another 1500 yen."

"Very funny Kurosaki. You offered, therefore I am under no legal nor social obligation to repay you for any of this." Uryu smirked slightly, adjusting his glasses haughtily as Ichigo rolled his eyes in turn.

"Well then I guess you don't want any of the food I brought." He cocked an eyebrow at the other before letting out a sigh as he passed Ishida to enter the studio. The bags and drink cady were placed on one of the tables at Uryu's usual work station. Shrugging nonchalantly, he pulled up a spare stool and took a seat in front of the take out and snacks. "More for me I guess."

"Pad thai?"

"Yup."

"Spring rolls?"

"Of course."

"Sriracha and low sodium soy sauce?"

"Mhmm."

"The coffees I asked for?"

"You know it."

"I suppose… a payment might be in order, after all… You do have remarkable skill as a courteous delivery boy after all. You deserve a tip for that at the very least."

Ichigo rolled his eyes, "Shut up, you ass."

"Mmm, I might have to deduct from your tip for that mouth of yours."

"So you want your pad thai or not?"

"I'll transfer the money over later, i don't have cash on me."

"Okay, fair enough." Ichigo pulled one of the boxes out of the take out bag and handed it over to Uryu, "Your pad thai, and your peach tea is in the caddy-hey hands off my milk tea."

Ichigo scowled as Uryu picked the milk drink up off of the table. The fashion major smirked at him but set the drink back down in favor of his own peach flavored drink.

"Touchy touchy Kurosaki." his teasing tone made Ichigo's mouth twitch, but he refused to smile at the jerk. "You know I'm not fond of your overly sweet drinks, no need to be so hostile about it."

"Like you'd appreciate me taking your drink." he muttered, pulling two pairs of chopsticks out of the plastic bag alongside his box of curry. One pair was passed over to Uryu, the other he kept, eagerly breaking them in anticipation of his meal.

"Touche." Uryu settled own in his own seat. The project he was working on was pushed back, out of the way of where his food would go so as not risk dirtying any of the delicate fabric with the noodles. "You brought coffees for later, right?"

Ichigo nodded as he stabbed a piece of chicken curry with his chopsticks. Humming as he took a bite of the dish, he gestured vaguely in the direction of the little bag of snacks for Ishida to sort through on his own. He was far too hungry and absorbed in the delicious spicy chicken to bother rifling through the bag himself.

Uryu took the bag, shifting around the snacks until he dug out the coffee bottles. Lifting them up, he examined them briefly before nodding in approval. "Double shots, perfect. I can't afford to fall asleep until I have the bustier finished and the lace of the skit done."

"When is this due again?"

"Monday."

"You have time, I think you can afford to sleep Ishida."

"No, I have an essay I have due on Tuesday and a test on Thursday, so I can't afford to spend the entire weekend working on this."

Ichigo nodded, taking another bite of his curry. He tapped his chopsticks on the edge of his take out box thoughtfully for a moment before speaking. "Why did you think taking six classes this semester was a good idea exactly?"

Uryu gave him a dirty look over the edge of his cup as he took a swig of tea "Shut it Kurosaki. You're taking two 4 credit hour classes, a lab, a basic, and your creative writing seminar, you have no room to talk."

"It's still 3 credit hours less than you."

A crumpled up straw wrapper was thrown at his head in retaliation. Ichigo tilted his head away to dodge just in time so the paper went sailing right past his ear.

"Pfft," he let out an amused huff, "And you call me the touchy one."

"You are the touchy one." Uryu rolled his eyes as he took a bite of his noodles. "A more accurate descriptor of myself would be testy, and that's simply because I've been working all day without rest. You on the other hand..." he paused to take a sip of tea. "Anyone can set you off with very little effort at nearly any given time."

"Buzz off."

"Exactly my point."

Ichigo groaned. "Why do I even put up with you?"

"Because without me, your grades would suffer even more so than they already do."

"Right that. Between that and rent, I guess you're bearable."

Ishida chuckled briefly and shook his head before returning his attention to his food. While their banter was swell and all, the two of them had too much work to carry on like that the entire time. If they kept at it, the two of them would eventually lose track of time and forget to finish their food inbetween the back and forth.

Fully reclining back in his chair now, Ichigo took a deep sip of his milk tea. The contrast of flavor between the sweetness of the tea and the lingering sharp spice of curry was nice. It would be even nicer still if he could afford to eat the rest of his meal like this, savoring the flavors and all. Alas, he had school work to finish. With a sigh, he pulled his backpack closer and fished out his notebooks so he could get started working on his physics assignment while he ate.

Ishida seemed to have a similar idea. He'd pulled a sketchbook out from his desk and seemed to be jotting down quick notes in between bites of his noodles. From the way he kept glancing between his tailor's mannequin and his other sketches, Ichigo figured it was probably a list of alterations and stuff he needed to do when he had both hands free.

Faintly, in the background, he could hear someone ask, "What smells so good?" and someone else respond with, "Ishida got take out."

"Ishida, ordered take out and didn't even tell us?!" The first person, one of Ishida's classmates who was working on the other side of the room whose name might have been Mikejima, shouted. "Not cool!"

Ichigo heard Uryu let out a soft chuckle before calling out in reply, "I didn't order anything, I just have a very considerate delivery boy." He gestured briefly to Ichigo. "If you have issue, take it up with him."

"Fuck off, I'm not your delivery boy!"

The second person-Ichigo was pretty sure her name was Anzu or something-laughed at their interaction, placing her hands on the table she was leaning over so she could support her own weight in the face of her should-shaking mirth.

Mikejima on the other hand, didn't pay much mind to that. "Hey, Kurosaki, right? Kurosaki, I'll give you 500 yen for an eggroll or something."

Ichigo let out a huff of amusement. "I only have spring rolls or dumplings."

Mikejima's eyes lit up at that. He made his way across the studio to where Ichigo was sitting. A few notes were fished out of the guy's pocket and held before him. "Is 600 yen for three dumplings okay?"

"Sure, sounds good." Ichigo took the guy's yen and grabbed the box that held his dumplings. Three were plucked out and placed in a napkin before being handed over to Mikejima who took them as if they were the holy grail.

"Thanks Kurosaki!" he grinned as he made his way back over to the girl.

Ishida gave him a look.

"What?"

Ishida remained silent for a moment before shaking his head. "Nothing."

"Whatever you say."

* * *

"Get the preparations in order."

"The boy doesn't deserve this and you know it."

"It's not a matter of deserve. It's a necessity."

"He's done more for us than we could ever repay already, and you want him to give up everything for us again. You want him to submit to a fate worse than death." Kyoraku's voice was quiet and ice cold as he spoke. Each word was even and measured in a way than the untrained ear might mistake him for calm, yet anyone who knew him would be able to sense the wealth of rage and indignation hidden beneath the surface.

"That's enough! We cannot and will not hold one mere human child above the sake of the Balance of the three worlds. That's not how we operate." One of the Central 46 sages spat in turn.

"You're asking too much of him. No, you're asking too much of myself and my men. None of us want to see Kurosaki-kun become that ."

Outraged murmurs broke out around the compound. "You speak as if you have a choice. If you are so unwilling to carry out your duty because of this child, perhaps you are unfit to hold the position of Soutaicho."

"And who will replace me? Unohana-taichou and Juu-chan are dead and gone along with ol' Yama-jii. None of the other captains are quite strong or experienced enough to take up this job. Soi Fon-taichou? She already has too many responsibilities, and when you boil it down she isn't fit for command. Otobashi? He's only just returned to the Seireitei, and you lot have made it clear you hardly trust someone with a condition such as his to have a position of power. That takes out Hirako, Aikawa, Lisa-chan, and Murguma as well."

"Kyoraku-"

" And that's not even bringing in the fact of how protective that lot is of Kurosaki-kun either. They think of him like a little brother you know. Now let's see… Kotetsu-chan is diligent but she can barely handle her role as Captain as it is. Kuchiki-kun? He's not any more inclined to this decision of yours than I am. Perhaps even less so with how close he, his sister, and Abarai-kun are to Kurosaki-kun. Hitsugaya-taichou? He's getting stronger and all, but he's still not nearly as experienced as you lot need him to be. Not to mention his sense of justice and morality is even more unyielding than mine."

"Kyora-"

" Of course only a fool would try to give Zaraki-taichou any more authority than he already has, so that leaves you with dear Nemu-chan, who is only just beginning to become accustomed to not having Kurotsuchi-taichou or Yachiru-chan around."

"Have you finished your piece?" An ancient voice spoke up, level and heavy with the weight of his authority.

"I believe I have."

"Ready the preparations or you and your family will be faced with treason charges. You may be hard to replace, correct, but you are not irreplaceable. This is not wartime, you don't have the authority to override us."

"The dissent this decision will cause-"

"Is irrelevant. The Gotei exists to execute our will. The Gotei takes its orders from us, not the other way around Soutaichou. Anyone who attempts to override these proceedings will be executed. That is final."

"..." the silence was deafening.

"Is that clear Kyoraku-Soutaichou?" the ancient voice spoke up once more, a hint of agitation finally starting to show through in the man's words.

Never in the history of the Soul Society had the Judiciary experienced such pushback from its soldiers, let alone the Soutaicho. Even in the days when the Gotei was little more than a band of mercenaries, orders always went over with little if any protest. Perhaps it was because the Gotei had evolved so far from mere mercenaries that the pushback was coming now. Now that their soldiers came equipped with their own sense of morality and justice rather than just comply with those that the 46 laid out for them.

Kyoraku stood, glaring up at them from under the brim of his hat with his one good eye before letting out a sign. He closed his eyes for a brief moment. Turning on his heel, he departed from the compound, words bitter on his lips.

"As you wish."

* * *

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